A good surge protector might cost you $40. A very basic battery backup will cost you anywhere from $60-$100. That might seem like a lot of money but consider this: A modem can cost as much as $75. A new monitor will cost you somewhere around $100 at the very least, and you probably wouldn’t be able to replace your computer for less that $500-$1000. All of these things can be damaged or destroyed by power surges. That’s why you should have a surge protector, or battery backup. We also recommend, when severe storms are expected, that you go so far as to unplug your valuable electronic devices.